That is a business and legal judgement, not a scheduling formula. Commitment supports the case, yet payments may run for months with no guaranteed processing time or outcome. Discuss delivery dates, start dates, and any conditional clauses with counsel, and decide what the enterprise can carry if the decision takes longer than hoped.
Separate visa validity from authorized stay
Canadian citizens generally need an E visa, and a visa's validity period is not the same as the period of stay recorded on the I-94. Build the lease schedule around the authorized stay and any extension steps, and keep the intention to depart when status ends consistent with the commitments being signed. Set internal milestones for lease signature, equipment delivery, and packet review rather than one promised opening date.
Fix dates for due diligence, segment financials, funding documentation and packet review, then decide the closing timing. Set dates for receiving payroll data, confirming the purchase agreement's personnel terms, and finishing the staffing contingency budget. The funds must enter an irreversible commitment that faces commercial loss, and the planned enterprise cannot be marginal. Obtain the franchisor’s written explanation and a credible revised sequence, then decide whether the enterprise is sufficiently developed for the application.